The Hurunui by-election 1961 was a

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

held in the electorate in North Canterbury during the term of the

33rd New Zealand Parliament The 33rd New Zealand Parliament was a term of the New Zealand Parliament. It was elected at the 1960 general election on 26 November of that year. 1960 general election The 1960 general election was held on Saturday, 26 November. A total of ...

, on 10 June 1961. The by-election was caused by the death of incumbent MP

William Gillespie William or Bill Gillespie may refer to: * William Gillespie (actor) (1894–1938), Scottish actor * William Gillespie (New Zealand politician) (1893–1961), New Zealand politician of the National Party * William Ernest Gillespie (1912–1967), A ...

of the National Party on 23 April 1961.

Candidates

;Labour The Labour Party selected Arthur Alexander Adcock as its candidate. Adcock, a railway worker, was secretary of the local Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants branch and a member of the Waimairi County Council. He had contested the seat in 1960 against Gillespie. ;National There were several names put forward as potential nominees for the National Party candidacy: *Frederick Ashe, a farmer in Flaxton and Okuku, former member of the Eyre County Council who had contested the National nomination for in 1938 *William Murray Dailey, a farmer at

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

and chairman of the Oxford County Council *J. A. G. Fulton, a farmer at

Loburn Loburn is a rural community in North Canterbury, New Zealand, Canterbury, New Zealand. It is located ten kilometres northwest of Rangiora and nearly 50 kilometres north of Christchurch. Loburn is a small community, with no shops. Local industr ...

and former chairman of the Sefton and districts branch of Federated Farmers *Clutha N. McKenzie, a farmer at

Motunau Greta Valley is a town in North Canterbury, 83 km north of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was named after the River Greta in Yorkshire by local runholders Sir Charles Clifford and Sir Frederick Weld in the 1850s, but it is to the east ...

and chairman of Waipara County Council (grandson of Sir Thomas Mackenzie) *

Lorrie Pickering Herbert Elmer Lorraine Pickering (29 March 1919 – 25 July 2009) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party, and was a cabinet minister. Biography Pickering was born in Havelock in 1919, the son of Charles Henry Pickering. He re ...

, a farmer at Motunau and radio broadcaster who was National's candidate for in 1960 * Derek Quigley, a farmer at Waipara who was National's candidate for in 1960 *W. W. Wood, a land agent and bookshop proprietor at

Rangiora Rangiora is the largest town and seat of the Waimakariri District, in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is north of Christchurch, and is part of the Christchurch metropolitan area. With an estimated population of Rangiora is the 30th largest urba ...

who was a committee member of the Rangiora National Party Ultimately Pickering was chosen to contest the seat. ;Social Credit The Social Credit Party selected Malcolm Jack Clark, an engineer from Waikari, as its candidate for the seat.

Results

The following table gives the election results: The by-election was won by

Notes

References

* * Hurunui 1961 1961 elections in New Zealand Politics of the Canterbury Region June 1961 events in New Zealand {{NewZealand-election-stub